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Library

This library contains research reports produced by the Building America program and other building science resources used to support this Solution Center. The materials cover both new construction and existing homes. Use the search box and/or the filters to explore hundreds of residential building resources. Access to some references not produced by Building America may require purchase from the publisher. Documents are listed alphabetically. While we continually update our database, links may have changed since posting. Please contact our webmaster if you find broken links.

Showing results 1 - 50 of 194

ASCE Hazard Tool Homepage

Author(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers
Organization(s)
ASCE
Publication Date
Web-based mapping tool offering a fast, reliable way to look up key design parameters specified in Standard ASCE 7-10, 7-16, or 7-22 for a specific address or location which is free to use and can look up data for eight different environmental hazard types: wind, tornado, seismic, ice, rain, flood...

2024 Rating the States: Hurricane Coast

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Report assessing building codes for the 18 Atlantic and Gulf coast states which are most prone to hurricanes, as of 2018.

Winter Weather: Before, During, and After

Author(s)
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Organization(s)
CDC
Publication Date
Website providing information to prepare for winter storms, prevent cold temperature-related health problems, and protect yourself during all stages of a winter storm.

Hurricane Shutter Types

Author(s)
Hurricane Research Division,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Organization(s)
NOAA
Publication Date
NOAA webpage providing images and short descriptions of different types of hurricane shutters.

Wind Retrofit Guide for Residential Buildings - In Hurricane-Prone Regions, Second Edition, FEMA P-804

Author(s)
Escarment Jadon W,
Ibraheem Abdullah,
Lelfhelt Jr Donald L,
O'Connor Brian,
Overcash Glenn,
Reeder Adam,
Stafford T Eric,
Willsey Brian
Organization(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency,
FEMA
Publication Date
Guide presents mitigation measures in a Mitigation Package which combined set of retrofit measures that must be implemented for a house to provide a defined level of protection; identifies three successive Mitigation Packages: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. Implementing the Mitigation Packages...

Introduction to the National Seismic Hazard Maps

Author(s)
U.S. Geological Survey,
Earthquake Hazards Program
Organization(s)
USGS
Publication Date
Website providing a probabilistic map of the expected number of damaging earthquakes around the U.S.

Suggested Emergency Food Supplies

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Organization(s)
USDHS
Publication Date
Article describing suggested food supplies, sanitation, safety, and cooking for during and after an emergency.

FEMA National Risk Index: Tsunamis

Author(s)
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
FEMA
Publication Date
Website describing and providing a map showing the tsunami risk index for the United States, which home owners and builders can use to determine the tsunami risk of their location.

FORTIFIED Home Re-Roofing Checklist - High Wind

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for high wind resistance.

FORTIFIED Home Re-Roofing Checklist - Hurricane

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for hurricane resistance.

Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, ASCE/SEI 7-16

Author(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers
Organization(s)
ASCE,
SEI
Publication Date
Standard using performance-based principles to determine dead, live, soil, flood, tsunami, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, earthquake, wind, and fire loads, and their combinations for general structural design. This version of the standard was published in the year 2016 and is available in both digital...

Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, ASCE/SEI 7-22

Author(s)
American Society of Civil Engineers
Organization(s)
ASCE,
SEI
Publication Date
Standard using performance-based principles to determine dead, live, soil, flood, tsunami, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, seismic, and wind loads, and their combinations for general structural design. The current version of this standard was published in the year 2022 and is available in both digital...

Structural Design Loads for the Home Inspector

Author(s)
Gromicko Nick,
Gromicko Ben
Organization(s)
International Association of Certified Home Inspectors,
InterNACHI
Publication Date
Article defining structural design loads and ways to calculate them, including dead loads, live loads, soil lateral loads, wind loads, snow loads, earthquake loads, and other loads.

Required Length of Bracing, R602.10.3

Author(s)
International Code Council
Organization(s)
ICC
Publication Date
Table in the IRC describing bracing requirements for specified wind speeds and building story locations.

NW Seismic: Seismic Retrofits

Author(s)
Wieber Michael
Organization(s)
NW Seismic
Publication Date
A website containing a video series by NW Seismic illustrating how a seismic retrofit should be done and ways they are done incorrectly.

ICC-ES Evaluation Report, ESR-1679

Author(s)
ICC Evaluation Service
Organization(s)
ICC Evaluation Service
Publication Date
ICC-ES Evaluation Report reviewing proprietary steel shear wall panels developed by Simpson Strong-Tie Company to resist vertical and lateral loads in walls resulting from wind or earthquakes.

Install Window Shutters

Author(s)
Knowles III Hal S,
Ruppert Kathleen C,
Lenfesty Karla A,
Halderman Barbara
Organization(s)
University of Florida IFAS Extension
Publication Date
This document covers how broken windows can allow wind and rain inside the house and even lead to roof failure.

A Practical Guide to Climate-resilient Buildings & Communities

Author(s)
United Nations Environment Programme
Organization(s)
UNEP
Publication Date
Guidance document from the UN environment programme on climate-resilient buildings and communities practices, including guidance on heat waves, drought, hurricanes, and flooding.

Wood Construction Connectors 2021–2023

Author(s)
Simpson Strong Tie
Organization(s)
Simpson Strong Tie
Publication Date
Catalog detailing the metal connector products manufactured by Simpson Strong-Tie and their applications and strengths.

Digital Coast

Author(s)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Organization(s)
NOAA
Publication Date
Website helping communities address coastal issues with data, tools, and training resources.

House Siding Options, Plus Costs, Pros & Cons 2020

Author(s)
Siding Cost Guide
Organization(s)
Siding Cost Guide
Publication Date
A starting point for ballparking and comparing the cost of different siding materials and a brief overview of the pros and cons of different siding materials.

Implementing Green Infrastructure at Multiple Scales to Enhance Resilience

Author(s)
NOAA Office for Coastal Management
Organization(s)
NOAA
Publication Date
Case study describing Alachua County, Florida’s, green infrastructure strategy for land use development that incorporates rain gardens, ponds, swales, and native vegetation to manage stormwater.

APA Wall Bracing Calculator

Author(s)
APA - The Engineered Wood Association
Organization(s)
American Plywood Association,
APA
Publication Date
Wall bracing calculator simplifying the design of residential structures that comply with 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018 or 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) wall bracing requirements.

Disconnect or Redirect Your Downspout Brochure

Author(s)
Mid-America Regional Council
Organization(s)
MARC
Publication Date
A guide on the use of rain barrels for greater water efficiency and use in gardens and lawns.

Hurricane Retrofit Guide - Gable End Overhangs

Author(s)
Florida Disaster
Organization(s)
Florida Division of Emergency Management
Publication Date
A document aimed at reducing the vulnerability of a gable end roof to wind damage in a hurricane.

Storm Prediction Center

Author(s)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
National Weather Service
Organization(s)
NOAA,
NWS
Publication Date
A website providing timely and accurate forecasts and watches for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes over the contiguous United States.

FORTIFIED Home Inside FORTIFIED

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Website providing resources for roofers to construct high-wind, hurricane, and hail-resistant roofs from IBHS Fortified program.

Natural Hazards

Author(s)
U.S. Geological Survey
Organization(s)
USGS
Publication Date
Website containing USGS-related publications related to natural hazards.

FLASH website

Author(s)
Federal Alliance For Safe Homes
Organization(s)
FLASH
Publication Date
Website containing resources from the nonprofit FLASH, which "is the country’s leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters."

Indoor AirPlus

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Organization(s)
EPA
Publication Date
Indoor airPLUS is a voluntary partnership and labeling program that helps new home builders improve the quality of indoor air by requiring construction practices and product specifications that minimize exposure to airborne pollutants and contaminants.

National Hazard Mitigation Association

Author(s)
Natural Disasters Association,
National Hazard Mitigation Association
Organization(s)
NDA,
NHMA
Publication Date
Website providing information on tsunamis, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms and more.

Ready.gov: Build A Kit

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Organization(s)
USDHS
Publication Date
A fact sheet providing tips on how to assemble a kit of food, water and other disaster supplies in the event of an emergency.

U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit Case Studies

Author(s)
U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit
Organization(s)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
NOAA
Publication Date
Website providing guidance for people to find and use tools, information, and subject matter expertise to build climate resilience.

The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) Roofing Manual - 2020 Set

Author(s)
National Roofing Contractors Association
Organization(s)
NRCA
Publication Date
Manuals describing design, materials, and installation techniques applicable to almost all types of roof systems; four-volume set includes Metal Panel and SPF Roof Systems, Membrane Roof Systems, Architectural Metal Flashing and Condensation and Air Leakage Control, and Steep-Slope Roof Systems.